Pumpkin Pie Custard

I have no idea why people ever started cooking pumpkin pie using canned pie filling.  Seriously.  Do you know how easy it is to make pumpkin pie?  If you ever buy canned pumpkin (not the pie filling, just pure pumpkin) and rip off the label and read the back of it--it's just pumpkin, canned evaporated milk (ewww), brown sugar, a couple of eggs and some spices (and of course a pie crust).  Ok, well, we choose not to eat a lot of those things.  So that does make the pie making experience a little more difficult.

-But not impossible-

So with a few simple substitutions, you can have your pie and eat it too.  Really, you can.

I love pumpkin.  Pre-paleo, I loved pumpkin loaf with raisins.  I loved pumpkin-spice muffins.  I loved pumpkin ice cream with white chocolate chunks and graham crackers in it.  I loved pumpkin angel foodcake and pumpkin bars with frosting.  One day, I will find a way to make all of these foods work within the paleo-acceptable framework we all follow.  But for today, we'll stick to pumpkin pie.  Or in this case, for an even simpler twist, crustless pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie custards.  Just because I'm all about simple.

For this recipe, you're going to need either 8 4-oz ramekins, or 8 equal-sized mugs, or 8 4-oz mason jars, or anything else like that.  Heck, you could use bigger containers, but remember to cook them longer to compensate for that.

Now onto the recipe!

Makes 8 4-oz servings

Ingredients:

1/2 of a large 796 ml can of pumpkin (that's the only size can we get here in Canada)

1 can coconut milk

3 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

pinch of salt

1/4 c maple syrup

Method:

Lightly oil ramekins with coconut oil.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In large bowl, whisk eggs, then add all other ingredients, mixing until combined.  Divide evenly among your 8 ramekins.  Boil some water.  Place your ramekins into a larger lasagna-sized casserole dish and pour about 1/2 to 1 inch of boiling water around them.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 20 minutes more.  Custard will still be very slightly jiggly.  Turn the oven off and just leave the custards in there for 5-10 minutes more, until set and no longer jiggly.

Remove with tongs to a cooling rack.  Sprinkle with a touch more cinnamon to serve.  Eat them warm or cool, eat them with real whipped cream (for the authentic experience), or with whipped coconut milk cream. For a real treat, serve them with squares of dark chocolate for scooping like we did right after the show wrapped up (what a shame we ran out of time taping before I got to explain them; they were the only recipe there that was 100% mine--but then again, I didn't even plug my blog once on the show, silly me....)

Wow your "non-paleo" family by serving these little gems surrounded with fresh berries.  They won't know you "paleo-ified" the recipe because they taste exactly like the real thing.

It really is that easy.  

You're welcome!